WTF Wednesday: Bernie Who?

Competition is good. It’s important. The Democratic primaries this year were lively and covered a lot of important issues. The Republican primaries mimicked a playground in that pointless insults were hurled, people were bullied and given nasty nicknames, and no real issues were ever discussed. But eventually, both primaries came to an end, with a clear winner as presumptive nominee.

The Republicans are in hiding asking themselves WTF happened to our party? Publicly they are basically saying “Oh, Trump? We meant to do that. Yeah. That’s what we wanted.” OK, whatever.

The Democrats are gearing up for the convention and the general election. This is traditionally the time that the party divide from the primaries closes up as everyone lines up to support the nominee. Secretary Clinton did it oh so graciously in 2008. She jumped on the bandwagon and helped President Obama get elected. Cause that’s how it works. The system may be flawed, but everyone knows the rules from the beginning, and under those rules there is a winner and some also-rans. It’s like when your older brother won a game of Monopoly fair and square but you accused him of stealing from the bank. Well, except he did steal from the bank, but that’s a separate issue. The point is that while what’s-his-name probably doesn’t cheat at Monopoly (I mean, I’m not going to swear to it but neither will I cast aspersions), he lost the Democratic primary.

But shhhhh! No one seems to have told him that he lost; many of his followers appear to be equally clueless.

So it seems to me anyway that what’s-his-name had a very nice 15 minutes of fame and significant success at reaching voters, but it’s time to let it go. I know that you really, really wanted the cute shoes in the window. And you scraped and saved and tried but they are out of your reach. So now your friend bought the shoes for herself, and you have to pretend you don’t care at all and you’re happy for her that she got the shoes. Like that.

Of course, if you muster up some enthusiasm for your friend, she might just offer to loan you the shoes and the totally adorable outfit she bought to go with the shoes. She might. But if you just keep whining and nagging and complaining, well, probably not. And then, instead of a couple of pages in a history book, you become a footnote.

So WTF Bernie? Do you really want generations of kids to ask the question, Bernie who?

Like David and Kate, I thought Bernie was just waiting in the wings in case Hilary was indicted. But now I wonder if he realizes that his supporters are so fanatical that he can’t drop out until they understand the jig is up. Like maybe the Bernie Bros would turn their venom on Bernie if they thought he bowed to pressure. Maybe he just wants them to realize there is no hope on their own, slowly and gradually. They have to get out of the “denial” stage of grief!

Personally, I love Bernie, but unfortunately, he needs to man up and graciously concede the election. The worst thing that can happen is that he does a Ralph Nader. though my biggest hope is that Donald Trump, for whatever reason (such as being asked to show his tax returns) ends up running as an independent and splits the Republican party into more splinter groups.

I just saw this cliip from comedian, Jim Jefferies’ comedy special, “Freedumb”. On the theme of great minds think alike, I have often compared this election to an elementary school one, where the kid with the funniest speech or most outrageous promises wins the election. To further build on the high school election analogy,my biggest fear is that the Hillary haters will be intransigent and refuse to vote, sort of like taking taking their ball home and no one gets to play.

Everyone needs to keep their eye on the ball right now and keep Trump from destroying our country. I think Bernie’s problem is he finds that he likes being a rock star and doesn’t want to give it up. But he had become increasingly irrelevant.

Thanks for the clip, that guy is hilarious! Hope you are well and that you don’t end up on the other side of a wall between us…

I agree with David. I long thought that Bernie was hanging in there just in case something came out of that. I am still waiting to see if Trump is really the Republican candidate. For some reason I think I’m dreaming and any minute now I’ll wake up and someone “normal” will be in the running on the other side. This is the most bizarre political campaign that I can remember.

I think beyond hanging in just for result of investigation he was sort of rooting for her to get indicted and helped perpetuate the image of Hillary as a criminal, which is egregious in the season of Trump. But as with all such matters I ask that you consult Morgan and get her opinion.

When I mention politics, Morgan gags up a hairball. Can’t say that I blame her. If I could I would too. Perhaps Bernie is trying to negotiate the party platform. (I know I keep giving him the benefit of the doubt. He can’t possibly want Trump to win.)

Yesterday’s decision by FBI Director Comey not to recommend prosecution marked the end of any hope Sander’s could have had that the party would turn to him in a panic. Every day he fails to get on the bus is a day he watches his standing within the party decline. He needs to graciously offer congratulations, his support, and get on with the business of electing Hillary Clinton. There is far too much at stake here. Get on with it Bernie.